Apparatus for improving gunsight accuracy and system

ABSTRACT

An tubular member intermediately mounted on a gun between the shooter and a distally mounted gun sight or gun sight distal indicator, having a reflective internal surface which provides a specific reflection (e.g. a uniform circle) of and concentric with the distal sight or indicator when the gun is aligned to hit the target on which the distal indicator is centered. Alternate embodiments provide an illuminated distal indicator, and an indicator which itself shows an enhanced characteristic, such as intensity or visibility of the high contrast element, as the gun is pointed on-target. A mounting member provides pitch and yaw adjustment of the tubular member in addition to lateral and height adjustment relative to the gun barrel or longitudinal axis of the gun projectile.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to gun sights and in particular, to gun sight adapters providing increased shooter sighting accuracy thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] High accuracy gun aiming sights and other devices typically have required delicate, expensive, complex and/or precision optical arrangements through which the shooter is presented a restricted field of view of the target and target area. The sighting action of the shooter is further inhibited by first aiming the gun to acquire the target, then to transfer his attention to the more precise aiming sight, which imposes a brief time during the sighting transition that the target is visually lost. During this brief time, the target may well change its trajectory, speed, etc. such that the shooter cannot acquire it in the more precise sight, causing the shooter to miss or lose the target, or delay firing. Thus, the sighting advantages provided by typical prior art high accuracy gun sights come at a cost to the shooter which often exceeds the advantages gained by such sights.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The novel sight system according to the present invention comprises an illuminated or high contrast indicator mounted distal from the shooter on the gun barrel and an intermediately mounted tubular member having a reflective internal surface which provides a specific reflection (e.g. a uniform circle) of and concentric with the distal indicator when the gun is aligned to hit the target on which the distal indicator is centered. Alternate embodiments provide an illuminated distal indicator, and an indicator which itself shows an enhanced characteristic, such as intensity or visibility of the high contrast element, as the gun is pointed on-target.

[0004] Moreover, since habit and style is important to maintain for certain shooters, a further embodiment according to the present invention comprises a tubular member having a reflective, substantially continuous internal surface, which is mounted on the gun between the shooter's existing gun sight and the shooter, and provides an enhanced accuracy, easily transitioning gun sight to the shooter without loss of his previous convention of aiming and shooting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0005] These and further features of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following Detailed Description together with the Drawing, wherein

[0006]FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention as typically mounted on a rifle;

[0007]FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a distally mounted gun sight indicator with optional illumination element;

[0008]FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are typical shooter's (rear elevation) on- and off-target views of the tubular element according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 3 is an elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention as typically mounted on a hand gun;

[0010]FIG. 3A is an expanded schematic of the present invention of FIG. 3 showing direct and reflected light paths

[0011]FIG. 4 is a side elevation view for one embodiment of a tubular member adjustable base according to the present invention; and

[0012]FIGS. 5A and 5B are end elevation views of tubular members detached and attached, respectively, to the adjustable base members of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A typical rifle mount of one embodiment 20 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, wherein a rifle 22 barrel 24 retains a distally mounted target indicator or forward gun sight 60 having a high contrast fiber 64 indicator viewable through an optionally included tubular viewing shield member 62, by the shooter 30 along direct path 32. The embodiment 20 of FIG. 1 shows a tubular member 40 having a substantially continuous annular internal reflective surface 42 which provides view of the high contrast fiber element 64 via aperture 63 (FIG. 1A) and optical paths 34 to the internal surface 42 and on to the shooter 30.

[0014] Since the tubular member is shown to be closer to the shooter 30 than the distal sight indicator 60, the tubular member 40 will comprise a conical cylinder. The conical cylinder will have a narrower opening closer to the shooter 30 and a larger opening closer to the distal indicator, the taper being selected according to its position between the shooter 30 and the distal indicator to provide the optical paths 34 from the distal indicator to the internal reflective surface 42 to the shooter 30.

[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the shooter (30) sees the high contrast (or illuminated) distal indicator via aperture 63 and a substantially complete annular reflection 42A on the internal reflective surface of the tubular member 40 when the gun is properly aligned with the target (not shown). Moreover, the sight including the tubular member 40 provides open visualization of the distant background of the target in the region 46 which allows the shooter to easily transition from the forward gun sight indicator to the reflection on the inner surface 42A. As the shooter approaches the proper target alignment, only a partially annular (incomplete circle) reflection 42B of the high contrast distal indicator (via 63) will be seen by the shooter. However, as proper alignment is approached, the annulus becomes more complete, until the complete circle reflection 42A is seen when the gun is aligned on-target.

[0016] The high contrast distally mounted indicator is shown in more detail in FIG. 1A, where in a luminous fiber 64 is energized by the ambient light or by a night illuminator 54, such as Trijicon model H394 radiant energy night sights or a self-luminous photochemical light source, such as the green mini-type A Cyalume Light Stick, manufactured by Omniglow Corp. or equivalent light source, which provides a visual glow through an aperture 53, which is picked up by end 62A of fiber 64. The energized fiber 64 is viewable through an extruded tubular element 62B having an anti-reflective inner surface coating of aperture 63 to limit the shooter's view of the luminous fiber rod 64 to its end within the aperture 63, and minimizes any reflections on the inner surface thereof. The extrusion includes a mounting web and a planar foot which is adhesively (or otherwise) mounted to the gun barrel 24. A reflective strip 65 may also be mounted on the foot 68 to increase the energization of the fiber 64 from the ambient light energy. Alternately, the present invention is operative without the distally mounted indicator 60, but with any high contrast or illuminated element (e.g. 54) or light source precisely mounted on the distal end of the gun 22 barrel 24. A further description is provided in pending patent application Ser. No. 09/736,579, incorporated by reference herewith.

[0017] A similar hand gun 72 mounted embodiment 70 is shown in FIG. 3, wherein the shooter 30 sights through a tubular member 40A having a distally gun barrel-mounted indicator A. In this embodiment, the tubular member 40A is closer to the distal indicator A than the shooter 30. As shown in FIG. 3A, the direct viewing path 34A extend through the tubular member 40A, and the reflective annulus is formed by the outer viewing paths 34A. In the embodiment in which the tubular member is closer to the distal indicator A, the tubular member 40A is a conical cylinder having a narrower diameter closer to the indicator A and the larger diameter closer to the shooter 30. The taper of the conical cylinder is selected to allow formation of the reflective path 34A when mounted towards the rear of the gun 72, and has a cylinder length sufficient to provide a visible annulus without excessively limiting the forward target view.

[0018] The tubular members of the above embodiments may further include gun attachment members 80A and 80B providing height and lateral alignment of the tubular member 40B, and further provides pitch and yaw which allows the adjustment of the reflection of the tubular member inner surface to comprise a desired form, e.g. a uniform and continuous annulus for a circular tubular member (e.g. 40A). The tubular member 40B is connected by a ball and socket (or equivalent) joint on fore and aft support members 83A and 83B, which are received by the attachment and adjustment members 80A and 80B. The attachment and adjusting members 80A and 80B each include two relatively movable members 84A (and 84B), 85A (and 85B) typically secured and relatively adjusted by a fine thread screw 86A (and 86B). The lower components 85A and 85B are each secured to a corresponding spring member 87A and 87B, each being also connected to a base member 81, which is typically adhesively secured to the gun 82. The spring members 87A and 87B are biased away from the base member 81, and are adjustably retained by respective height adjusting screws, 88A and 88B. Thus, a pitch adjustment may be accommodated by individually and differently adjusting the height screws 88A and 88B. Similarly, a yaw adjustment may be provided by differently adjusting the lateral screws 86A and 86B.

[0019] The ball joint joining the support member 83 and the upper component 84 of the attachment member 80 is shown in FIG. 5A, including a ball end 92 which is received by a correspondingly shaped void 94 in the upper component 84, as shown in FIG. 5B. The channel 96 allows substantial rotation and tilt movement preferably limited to the fore-aft direction, thus providing stable, yet adjustable support of the tubular member 40B.

[0020] Further modifications and substitutions according to one of ordinary skill are within the scope of the present invention. For instance, in embodiments wherein the tubular member (e.g. 40, 40A) is centrally mounted between the shooter and the distal indicator, the tubular member will have no taper, being substantially uniform in internal dimension. Moreover, other, non-annular internal reflections (and internal surfaces) are within scope of the present invention, which offers an evolving reflection quality as the gun is properly aligned with the target. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited except by the claims which follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Gun sight apparatus for use with a gun sight mounted distally from the shooter, on a gun, and substantially parallel to a gun projectile path, and having contrast with a target and target background, said apparatus comprising: a tubular member having an optically reflective inner surface; and a mounting member for selectively securing said tubular member to said gun between said shooter and said distally mounted gun sight, wherein said tubular member is secured by said mounting member to align said internal surface to provide a substantially continuous reflection of said gun sight to said shooter when the projectile path of said gun is accurately aligned with said target.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tubular member provides a substantially uniform continuous reflection of said gun sight to said shooter when the projectile path of said gun is aligned with said target.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tubular member comprises a uniform radius cylindrical tubular member, and said mounting member secures said tubular member to said gun substantially midway between said gun sight and said shooter.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tubular member comprises a truncated conical member having a smaller diameter end and a larger diameter end, wherein said smaller diameter tubular member is secured on said gun by said mounting member to the closer of said gun sight and said shooter.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mounting member includes at least one of a yaw and a pitch adjusting member.
 6. A gun sighting system, comprising: a distally mounted gun sight; a tubular member having an internally reflective surface, disposed on said gun between said distally mounted gun sight and said shooter providing a substantially contiguous reflection of said gun sight when said gun is accurately aligned with a target.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said gun sight comprises a high-contrast luminous optical fiber.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein said gun sight includes an self-illuminated member.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein said self-illuminated member includes one of a photochemical and a radiant energy light source.
 10. The system of claim 6, wherein said tubular member comprises one of a uniform radius and a truncated conical tubular member.
 11. The system of claim 6 further including adjustable mounting means for adjustably retaining said tubular member to said gun.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for adjustably retaining comprises means for adjusting at least one of pitch and yaw. 